1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a panel assembly, and more particularly, relates to a panel assembly having a stringer and elongated sheet panels clampingly secured to the stringer.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A panel assembly is disclosed in the Japanese Patent Publication No. 46-3434.
The conventional panel assembly comprises a stringer 1 and a plurality of sheet panels 2, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.
The stringer 1 is formed of a plate of aluminum alloy, for example, by roll forming in a predetermined figure and bent so as to have a U-shaped cross-section as shown in FIG. 2. The stringer 1 has projections 3 each having convex portions 4 at both sides thereof and recesses 5 each having concave portions 6 at both sides thereof. Each of said projections 3 and each of said recesses 5 are arranged alternately with a desired interval on the top of each of side walls of the stringer 1.
Each of said sheet panels 2 is formed of a baking finished plate of aluminum alloy or plastic and has curved portions 7 at both sides thereof.
A first sheet panel 2 facing upward is clampingly secured to the recess 5 formed between the projections 3 of the stringer 1 and a second sheet panel 2 facing downward is put on the projection 3 of the stringer 1, so that the two curved portions 7 of the second panel element 2 are hooked around the two curved portions 7 of the first and third sheet panel 2 clamped in the recesses 5 to form a panel assembly.
As stated above, in the conventional panel assembly, it is necessary to arrange the panel elements 2 facing upward and facing downward alternately and to bring them into engagement with the projections 3 and recesses 5 of the stringer 1, respectively, and accordingly the work becomes hard and the panel assembly becomes expensive.